I Know Pain
by telekinesis1728
Summary: Gale likes to push Madge. He likes the fire he sees when he does, but when he pushes her too hard will he like the result? He says she doesn't know pain and she shows him just how wrong he can be. (Takes place when Katniss is in the 74th Hunger Games) -Oneshot Gadge-


"You just don't get it Undersee," Gale says harshly.

"No! You don't get it, Gale," Madge yells at him. Gale stays silent as if to let her continue.

"You say I have never felt pain, but you only see my surface. I was there the day you lost your dad," Gale's eyes fill with rage but Madge doesn't let him talk. "I saw the pain take over your face; your body almost looked as if it was crumbling just like your heart probably was."

Madge takes a shallow breathe preparing herself for what she was going to say. "I could never imagine the heartbreak of your dad dying. The heartbreak of him being there one moment and gone forever the next," Madge says, staring at the ground because she can't bear to see Gale with tears in his eyes. It hurts too much to see him, the person she always relied on being strong, breaking.

"But just imagine, for a moment, the pain of your mom being too sick to get out of bed, too sick to even wake up, too weak to stay strong for her only daughter, too broken to remember my name all the time name half the time."

Gale looks at the girl in front of him, she's pouring her soul out, everything that has ever hurt her, and out here in the meadow he realizes she is so much stronger than he ever knew. He looks at her with sympathy.

"Don't look at me like that," she whispers; it's enough to get him to turn away and look at the ground.

"She is dying, Gale," her whisper is so quiet she can barely hear her, "Every single day for years she has died a little more." Madge coughs her voice sounding strangled, "How would that feel, Gale. Tell me! How would it feel to wait around for your mom to die, cause god damn it, you know it's coming. You know she will leave you here in this world while she is lucky to have left," Madge shouts in anger and sadness. Gale looks at her again, he can't help it. He looks at her with _pity._

"Stop it!" she yells, "Stop looking at me like I'm a wounded animal. Almost every day I offer you kindness or sympathy you write off the kindness as pity. And here I am telling you of things I have dealt with my whole life and you look at me as if I'm about to crumble! You are a hypocrite. You don't want my kindness and you have the audacity to offer me pity. Gale, you see me and you despise me. Is it because of my blonde hair or the things I wear? Or is it because I'm simply the mayor's daughter and you can't lower yourself to the level of a Capital lap dog. Gale, I have to act fake on a daily bases. The Capital sees me. They know who I am! If I step out of line people die, Gale, _me_ _included_," She takes a long breath.

For the first time in a while Gale speaks, "You don't understand how lucky you are though. You have money and adequate amount of food. What else is there to want?"

"That's where you wrong, Gale. Yes, I have food and I have money but I'm selfish and I want someone to love me. I want a family. I want a dad who will care about my and _actually know_ who I am. I want a mom who will remember my name and take care of me, not the other way around. And god damn it I want siblings. Siblings that love me, that look up to me and that can share in my sorrow or joy. We could comfort each other, with words or just a presence of someone being there for you. Sometimes I just don't want to be alone. My house is so quiet; when it's not filled with people from the Capital I have to pretend to love," Madge finishes her rant breathless.

"You want siblings? Why? So your heart can break every day they go hungry? So they can get reaped?" Gale says angrily.

"Let me ask you something. Would you _ever _trade one of your siblings for all the money in Panem or a feast every day?" Madge asks already knowing the answer.

He stares at her speechless, "No," He rasps.

"Of course you wouldn't. Gale, when will you understand I don't care about those things? I would trade the pain in my heart for the pain in your stomach any day," Madge almost sounds like she is begging him to understand.

"I think I understand now," Gale whispers. He takes the two short steps to Madge and does the simplest thing. He hugs her and although she is furious with him she hugs him back grateful for the compassion, _not the pity_.


End file.
